DNA Decodes: Vande Mataram Row Deepens Amid Babri Tensions

A renewed national clash over Vande Mataram intensifies as political, religious, and historical tensions rise, amplified by Bengal’s “New Babri” controversy and polarising events deepening communal and ideological divides nationwide.

A sharp national debate has reignited around Vande Mataram, India’s national song, as political, ideological, and religious tensions converge amid rising controversies. As Parliament marked 150 years of Vande Mataram, written on 7 November 1875, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a special discussion, accusing the Congress of historically bowing to Muslim League pressure and fragmenting the national song. The opposition countered, alleging that the government is politicising a non-issue for electoral gain, especially with the upcoming Bengal polls.

The dispute echoes a historical pattern. In 1936, the Muslim League under Muhammad Ali Jinnah passed a resolution opposing Vande Mataram, claiming Muslim schoolchildren were being forced to sing it and objecting to references to Hindu deities. Though independent India limited the song’s official rendition to its first two stanzas after a Congress-appointed committee’s recommendation, resistance persists in similar religious language even today.

वंदे मातरम पर 'बाबर गैंग' को चुभने वाला विश्लेषण
'सांप्रदायिक आग' के लिए 'बाबरी-कुरान पाठ'?
गरीबों पर 'हंटर'..इंडिगो के आगे सरेंडर?

देखिए #DNA LIVE Rahul Sinha के साथ#DNAमित्रों #ZeeLive #ZeeNews #DNAWithRahulSinha | @RahulSinhaTV https://t.co/ZcEkrdIBy3 — Zee News (@ZeeNews) December 8, 2025

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The current flashpoint emerges from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, where political figure Humayun Kabir has launched the controversial “New Babri” project. Thousands gathered in Beldanga as Kabir’s supporters unveiled foundation plaques and showcased cash donations received for the project through social media videos. Critics argue Kabir is using religious mobilisation as a political startup to launch a new party, fuelled by polarisation, threats, and continuous communal provocation.

Kabir has now announced a Quran recitation event in Kolkata, seen as a counter to a large-scale Gita recitation held by Hindu groups on the same day. This escalation mirrors a widening ideological rift: while Kabir’s followers reject Vande Mataram, they rally behind symbols linked to Mughal emperor Babur, drawing accusations of reviving divisive, historical fault lines.

Meanwhile, similar Babri-linked provocations have appeared in Hyderabad and Bihar, where posters were pasted on Hindu homes.